Vila do Ouro Mini-Blog

BEACH LIFE31 May 2013

Beach life slowly comes to a summer level. Off course the 32 º C in the shade of today also helps. Today's picture was taken on a beach of Albufeira. Albufeira has about 7 beaches along the entire city coast. In the high season these beaches are crowded and then it is better to visit the more remote beaches. From Vila do Ouro it is easy to go to the beaches on the eastside and on the westside of Albufeira. In this period the 7 beaches of Albufeira are nice to visit anyway.

Laundry30 May 2013

This is the central laundry place of the village of Alte. This village is located north and at a 15 minutes drive from Vila do Ouro. The road to Alte goes along orange groves, vineyards and small villages where time seems to stand still. If you are lucky, you will find the shepherd with his flock of sheep or goats with tinkling bells around their necks, blocking the road for a couple of minutes.

In Alte itself it is not super modern neither. Life in Alte is still very relaxed between these high hills of the Algarve. The hills around Alte are about 400 meters high and Alte is also about 200 meters high. Previously, the village was a haven for artists. In any case the laundry place has been through a lot all the years. Although many residents have traded their washboards for washing machines, there is still a large group of conservative women who still use the washboard in the central laundry place. And why not? It is much more economical and more fun to wash together! And certainly in Alte, the laundry place is located on a beautyful spot. Next to the fast flowing river and with a view over the town and the valley, you feel you are like a few of decades back in the time…!

The morning was a bit cool today. Sunny though, but at 10 o'clock in the morning it was still 17 ºC. Around 3 p.m it was 27 ºC on the central pool terrace of Vila do Ouro.

Obrigado!30 May 2013

Thank you all for the congratulations,comments,likesandshareson facebook, emails etc, because ofthe messagethat wehavereceivedtheZoover Award 2013for being the best Holiday Park in Portugal! Nowwe are having theZooverAward2013,it does not mean that guestsare standing in long queueswaiting to enter the gate of Vila do Ouro. Ouremail boxis even not overflowingwith requests.On the contrary,the year 2013is notthe best year forVila do Ouro so far. ThroughouttheAlgarve it is noticed that there is a decreaseoftourists,probably because of thecrisis.So we still haveavailability andthereforeyou should not think that itwill be a waste of time to make a request.So ifyouwant some sun in a beautiful area, you can always contact usto see what we have available. Orifyou know some friends or family who would like to have asunny holiday, we would appreciateit very muchif you mentionourwebsite.Also, ifyou know peoplewho are interested intheAlgarve you can give them our websiteorourfacebookpage(like!) to keep up to date with the Algarve. Afterall, our blogsgive a betterpicture of thelocalweatherthan the reports of Northern meteorologists….!

The current weather intheAlgarve:the last three dayswerereal‘do-days',with lots of sunshine,butalsoclouds,a smalldrop ofrain (yesterdaymorning)anda fresh breeze.The average during the day was between19-24ºC.Today wasallsunny, a bit windy and24ºC.

Zoover Award 201327 May 2013

The Zoover Award 2013 has arrived!

We already know since April the 17ththat we have received the Zoover Award 2013 for being the best voted Holiday Park in Portugal, but just today we could finally pick up the award at the post office in Paderne.

Vila do Ouro, the best Holiday Park in Portugal! It sounds nice and we are obviously very pleased, especially since getting the award is determined by our guests. Our guests are apparently quite satisfied, but there are also many people who wonder why Vila do Ouro is rated this high, while there are so many other accommodations around with more facilities. Vila do Ouro has no material luxury like a jacuzi, sauna, gym, spa, golf courses etc. Vila do Ouro offers even no luxury in service like a restaurant, a breakfast service, a supermarket, an animation team , a cleaning service, organized activities, movie channels on the TV, room service etc. And besides that Vila do Ouro is not even directly on the coast and there isn’t much to do within walking distance. How come that Vila do Ouro is so well rated? We don’t know, but what we know is that we give our guests the stay that we would like to have ourselves when we are on holiday. A pure holiday!

If you not have read the reviews on Zoover.com, then we can give a small resume of the the following possitive feedback which was given by many happy guests: oasis of greenery and flowers, oasis, quality accommodations, great pools, special children's pool, family friendly, small, good atmosphere, great location, spotlessly clean, well maintained, ecologically minded, central in the Algarve, great tennis court, wonderful restaurants nearby, no fuss and the ideal place to come to a mental peace. There are also people who regularly do the following statements: "It’s like we are in Bali, Thailand or Costa Rica" or "We have finally arrived in paradise!" or "This oasis is a hidden paradise”. But with or without a Zoover Award, we keep on working hard to keep our holiday formula in a good state. If you wonder whether our holiday formula works for you, we encourage you to try it yourself….! We would like to welcome you!

SUNGLASSES26 May 2013

Today was aday withblue skiesand100% sunshine. It was25 ºCin the shade onthe pool terraceofVila do Ouro.It felta bit cooler, because of the cool breezefrom the sea. It was an ideal day todo plenty of things, because with this kind of weather everythingwas possible:to stay at the pool of Vila doOuro, to go to the beach,to make day trips,to visit amusement parks,to have outdoorlunch&dinner,to play tennis,to go swimming orto do otheractivities,etc etc..In short,top holiday weather!

BOM DIA!25 May 2013

Terrace 'Deluxo'23 May 2013

This is the terrace ofour apartment‘Deluxo' for 6 pax. The terrace has asurfaceof 100m2andis lockable.The great thing aboutthisterraceis that you alwayscan find the shade. For example, under the palm treewhere we have put thesunbeds. On the upper terrace, we have the woodendining tablewithchairs.From thereonehas a splendidview of theeastand one canlook intothe beautiful valley.Because of thesunrisethis place isidealto have breakfast,but alsofor lunchor dinner, because the private barbecue isnear thisdining table.Overall this is a lovelyterrace torelax onsuch anicedaylike todaywith26 ºCanda clear blue sky.It is notstrange thatthe apartment ‘DeLuxo’ is one ofourmost popularaccommodations.For the seasonof2013, this apartment isonlyavailablefrom 29.08.13 – 10.09.13.So if anyoneis interested...do not wait toolong!

BLUE23 May 2013

The south coast of Portugal! Today’s photo was taken at Western Albufeira where entire neighborhoods have been built on high cliffs. These areas have beautiful views over the Atlantic Ocean. You can look as far as you want, but what you actually see is only 3 colors blue, the one of the Atlantic Ocean, the one of the horizon and the one of today’s big blue sky. Once again it was a lovely warm and sunny day with 26 º C in the shade.

It's not just the shore, there is more to explore!'22 May 2013

Summer has returned to the Algarve! Today it was sunny and 26ºC in the shadow. The central sun terrace with the pools was full of happy guests who were enjoying summer life. Todays picture is taken at sunrise and has the slogan: 'it is not just the shore, there is more to explore!' And that's what's Vila do Ouro is all about: away from the shore, so away from mass turism. Over here you enjoy a pure holiday in the real Algarve.

Smiling Faces19 May 2013

Smiling faces at Vila do Ouro! If you take a quick look then it looks like these strelitzia is having great fun overhere. These flowers are as big as a dove and the leaves are 4 meters high. Todays weather was 60% sunny and we had one rain shower from 15 minutes in the morning. 20C
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Vila do Ouro by Night18 May 2013

Vila do Ouro by night! Today was 70% sunny, windy and had 21ºC in the shadow. Too cold for the time of the year, but not too bad to enjoy the Algarve.

Bougain-Villa17 May 2013

This bougainvillea (picture) is showing his happiness by his many flowers! This beautiful plant can be seen on your way to Vila do Ouro. It is the bougainvillea of our villa for 8 persons, about 30 meters before the entrance of Vila do Ouro. If you see this bougainvillea, then you know that you just have to go another 30 meters to arrive at Vila do Ouro. Or if you have rented the villa for 8 people then you have already arrived at your holiday when you see the red colored plant!
The villa for 8 persons is a beautiful and practical holiday home. Ideal to stay with two or three families. The villa is often booked by grandpa & grandma with the children and grandchildren. This villa is also very child friendly.

Our winter clothes was already stored deep in the closet, but today we really had to get it back again. The max. temperature was 21 º C. In the morning it rained for 15 minutes. Occasionally the sun came out and then it was immediately comfortable, although the strong wind from the North cooled down everything.

Gecko16 May 2013

This type of reptiles (photo) are crawling around at night time here in the Algarve. This specie is called ‘the Geckos’ and they good nocturnal climbers. Many of our guests are not familiar with these animals and they get scared if they see such a creature of about 10 cm climbing on the wall. That is absolutely unnecessary, because these animals are harmless. They are very fast, not possible to catch, and they are very funny. Besides that, they are very useful because they eat pests such as flies, mosquitoes, etc. Geckos normally don't come into the houses, because they can find enough food outside. They often hide along outdoor lights to catch their preys. More information about Gecko is available at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gecko

Today was a bit chilly for the time of year. 12 º C in the morning! Eventually it warmed up to 21 º C in the shade and it was mostly sunny, but at the end of the afternoon it cooled down quickly and there was even a drop of rain again. In short, a little bit of winter and spring weather on the same day.

Bananas15 May 2013

Some of our banana trees have beautiful flowers (see picture of today). In a few month we can enjoy their lovely bananas. These kind of bananas are great if you fry them in coconut oil.

This morning was covered by thick clouds, we even had a drop of rain, the late afternoon was quite sunny, but the cold wind from the North made it a bit chilly now and than. 20ºC on our central pool terrace!

Tropical Garden14 May 2013

Our tropical garden (photo) with the bungalows and the tennis court, loves the weather from today: sunny, 26ºC in the shadow and almost no wind. Just now, late evening, it became a bit windy and that tells us that we are getting a weather change for the next few days.

ATB Algarve13 May 2013

The Algarve is perfect for mountain biking, especially the area around Vila do Ouro. Hilly, dust, beautiful scenery, nature and lots of off-road tracks. Vila do Ouro is working with a good bike rental company which is called 'Cool Bikes'. The bikes can be delivered at Vila do Ouro. The passionate team of Cool Bikes invites often guests to join their club tours and it is possible to book a bike buddy in case you have no one to cycle with. More information in our lounge or you can send us an email.

Great weather today, 25 º C in the shade, 70% sunny and a breeze from the sea. We could smell the sea on the pool terrace today...

Empty Beaches12 May 2013

We know it is crisis, but do not forget your needs for holidays! There are more than hundred reasons to plan your holiday now to the Algarve. Here are a few of them: good weather, empty beaches, good food, cheap & good restaurants, nice & friendly people, most Portuguese speak perfect English, beautiful nature, good shopping facilities, very good wines, almost all beaches have a blue flag, perfect outdoor sports possibilities, child friendly and maybe the most important: the Algarve has Vila do Ouro, a unique place to stay!!!

Wild Flowers10 May 2013

The fields around Vila do Ouro are filled with colorful wildflowers. The month of May is a wonderful month, because there is a lot of greenery, flowers and the sky has a typical clear blue color. Today was like summer again 31.5 º C in the shadow and had lots of sunshine.

Beautiful Beaches of Albufeira08 May 2013

The Algarve has great summer weather at the moment. 29ºC in the shadow, 50% sunny and a lovely summer breeze. This picture was taken today at one of the beaches of Albufeira. In this time of the year the beaches are not crowded at all, so you can enjoy the beaches with just a few other beach guests. Without the crowd, the beaches can show their paradisical characters and you can understand why they have chosen to turn Albufeira into the main holiday city of the Algarve. The water of the Atlantic Ocean has a good temperature now, because of the ‘good’ current from the West.

Pool at Night06 May 2013

The temperature did not reach the 30 º C in the shade today. It got to 29.5 º C on the pool terrace. It was completely sunny untill 5 p.m. Around that time we had some clouds coming in. The evening has still pleasant temperatures to be outdoors. There is no wind tonight and with these circumstances the pool always looks like a beautiful crystal green mirror. See today's picture.

Natural Sources05 May 2013

Today was Mother's Day in Portugal, ‘dia da Mãe’! Besides that it was also a beautiful Sunday with lots of sunshine and a temperature of 26 º C in the shade. On a day like this many people were relaxing near water to cool down. That does not always have to be be near the sea or along swimming pools. Here in the Algarve are also natural water sources such as the one from Alte (a village 15 minutes by car from Vila do Ouro). Here is a natural swimming pool and there are small waterfalls with fast flowing rivers. Ideal and fun to cool off. See also today's picture.

Tennis 03 May 2013

This time of year is wonderful for playing tennis in the Algarve. It's not too hot, so you can play throughout the day. The tennis court of Vila do Ouro is situated in the tropical garden. Today had 25º C and lots of sunshine.

MAGGIE02 May 2013

New this year in our bungalows: real handmade paintings from the Dutch artist Maggie! All our five bungalows have now a 'Maggie' above the bed to highlight the holiday feeling. (See today's picture) Last year, Maggie already painted more or less 70 paintings for all apartments and studios of Vila do Ouro. The reactions of our guests were very positive, so we asked Maggie to provide five new hand painted canvases for the bungalows. We are sure that in the next few years more and more gray/white living rooms in Northern Europe will be are adorned by a colorful 'Maggie' on the wall. If you already would like to have a real painting of Maggie than you can check this link: http://www.dezusvantantetil.nl/#%2Fschilderijen

Maggie makes customized paintings, but off course in her own style!

On the paintings of Maggie it is an endless summer, but also in the Algarve summer is in the air. The day started a bit chilly and cloudy, but after lunch it turned to be sunny with 25 º C. The forecast is very summer, so those who are coming this week to the Algarve: take a good sun protector!